It’s not about one group, one person or even raising money. It’s about raising CDH awareness!!! It’s about saying a prayer (or making a wish) for the end of CDH. Because that’s the goal, isn’t it?

* You don’t have to go anywhere *
* You don’t have to spend any money *

Just say a prayer (or making a wish) for the end of CDH and tell at least 1 person about CDH. That’s it! How easy is that? (You can do more if you wish – visit the link for details!)

No drama. ALL organizations can participate! No trademarks. No one has to ask permission to join in. No one has to pay anyone for anything. Use the ribbon as much as you want. Sell it on anything you want for any group you want – we don’t care!!! Just raise CDH awareness!! 🙂

Too many babies are dying from CDH. Too many families are devastated. Drama and politics and money should not be stopping awareness if that’s what’s needed to help these children!

So how can you possibly say no? 😉

I hope to see everyone participating in this amazing day for these babies!!!!! 😀

May 17th is almost here! This day is set aside to say a prayer (or make a wish) for the end of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. CDH is a devastating birth defect that has struck more than half a million babies since 2000. That’s a baby every 6 minutes diagnosed with CDH! 50% of these babies do not survive and the cause is not known. More awareness and research is desperately needed!!!!

On May 17th please take a moment to say a prayer (or make a wish) that the cause and prevention of CDH is found. There is power in prayer (and wishes)! And please tell at least 1 person about CDH to educate them about this birth defect. Just 1 person (or more!).

How else can you help?

Ask your church or other group to include info about CDH in their programs for that day. Attend an event. Wear a CDH ribbon, wear a shirt or other logo item. Hand out buttons. Release balloons. Send info to your family and friends. Post on your blogs and web sites. Post on your Facebook or Myspace account. Get more friends to join this event!

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May, 2009 Events

March for Babies – May 16 in San Antonio, TX. Join CHERUBS member Karen Myers as she marches in memory of her children Kaleigh and William and raises awareness and funds for the March of Dimes.

Peyton’s Promise – May 16 in Sea Isle City, NJ to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia CDH Research fund. For more information you can visit http://peytonlaricks.blogspot.com

Michigan Member Bowl-a-Thon – May 17 in Flint, Michigan. You can reach Barb at bwagner@cherubs-cdh.org or 810-845-8480

Day of Prayer for CDH – May 17 around the world! You can reach Dawn at dawn.williamson@cherubs-cdh.org or 919-610-0129 or visit our blog at http://cdhsupport.blogspot.com for more information

North Carolina Get-Together for members of CHERUBS – May 17 at Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC. You can reach Dawn at dawn.williamson@cherubs-cdh.org or 919-610-0129. http://nccherubs.wordpress.com/

North Carolina Balloon Release – May 17 at Pullen Park in Raleigh, NC. You can reach Dawn at dawn.williamson@cherubs-cdh.org or 919-610-0129. http://nccherubs.wordpress.com/

100 for $10 – that’s a lot of CDH Awareness! Great project for May 17th – CDH Day of Prayer and Education!

This is the OFFICIAL Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Ribbon as voted on by CDH families themselves. It is not owned by anyone, there are no trademarks or copyrights to it and it is not used by any other cause. It is the CDH Awareness Ribbon recognized by 1000’s of families around the world, Wikipedia and the members of the Alliance of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Organizations, which is a group of dozens of CDH organizations, sites and researchers.

CHERUBS does not make any money off of your orders for buttons, not 1 cent! We just want everyone to raise awareness!!!

CDH Family Assistance Fund – A majority of this fund will go to help families with travel expenses such as airline tickets and gas. It will not go to lodging because CHERUBS highly recommends the *free* lodging available at Ronald McDonald Houses. Families will submit confidential applications to assistance and a committee will consider each request.

Our goal is to make sure that all CDH families can afford to get to their cherub’s medical center and have a place to stay so that they can concentrate on their children instead of travel worries. We hope to assist a family through this fund by this fall.

The remaining small percentage of this fund will go to Gabe’s Gifts, a new program that helps new and expectant families by supplying them with items needed. This project will start by September, 2009!

$20 can cover 1 gift bag for a CDH family from Gabe’s Gifts

$20 can cover 1 family’s gas for a day

$50 will cover a gas card for a family going back and forth to the hospital

$500 can cover a plane ticket for 1 family member

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) occurs in approximately 1 in every 2,500 births (1,600 cases in the U.S. each year). The cause of CDH is not yet known. The diaphragm is formed in the first trimester of pregnancy and controls the lungs’ ability to inhale and exhale. CDH occurs when the diaphragm fails to form or to close totally and an opening allows abdominal organs into the chest cavity. This inhibits lung growth.

Every patient diagnosed with CDH is different. Survival rates depend on the types and number of organs involved in the herniation and the amount of lung tissue available. There are many surgical procedures and complications that may or may not occur with each individual, including in utero surgery.

Roughly 50% of babies born with CDH do not survive. Of the 50% that do survive, most will endure long hospital stays, feeding issues, asthma and other problems. A few of the survivors suffer from severe long-term medical issues.

CDH occurs as frequently as Spina Bifida and Cystic Fibrosis, yet there is very little research being done and virtually no media coverage.

CDH Research Fund – to pay for the $1000 a year cost of research database hosting and to raise money for research organizations such as the International CDH Study Group – unless a request is made to go a specific hospital. The CDH Study Group is a collective group of over 30 hospitals around the world specializing in CDH research. We chose to support groups like this one because we know that every cent will go directly to research on Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and research will be brooder and more advanced when collaborating with dozens of hospitals and researchers together.

CDH Research Site – funds for the software needed to create and maintain secure database hosting for our CDH research database. This database includes information on over 2400 CDH patients and medical care providers – offering a very unique opportunity to research the cause, prevention and best medical treatments for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Such software and off-site security that is needed for an undertaking this large costs approximately $1000 per year (thanks to a grant from QuestionPro). Rather than take funds out of our very small operating cost budget, we are appealing to members and the public to help fund this research venture. Site maintence, design and statistics is being done for free by volunteers. $1000 per year is needed solely for the database design and secure hosting, which is needed to follow federal privacy and HIPPA laws.

This web site is a project of CHERUBS – The Association of Congenital DIaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support. It is supported by volunteers and funding through CHERUBS, a 501(c)III Non-Profit Organization. Donations and sponsorships are greatly encouraged and appreciated to help keep this CDH Reseach site continuing, growing and leading the search for the cause and prevention of CDH.CHERUBS Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research Survey is the combined efforts of over 2000 CDH families and medical professionals. It takes information on the medical, family and exposure histories of CDH patients and compares data to look for the cause, prevention and better treatement of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Participation is voluntary, anonymous and free to all CDH families and medical staff. Data can be tabulated live for research and reference purposes.

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm does not fully form, allowing organs to enter the chest cavity preventing lung growth. CDH strikes 1 in every 2500 babies, of all races, religious backgrounds, and financial status – no matter how well the prenatal care.

Nearly 4 million babies are born in the United States each year. This means that approximately 1600 babies are born with CDH each year – in the U.S. alone! There are more babies born with CDH than with Cystic Fibrosis (1 in 3900) and it’s almost as common as Spina Bifida (7 in 10,000) – yet, you probably have never heard of it until it affected someone that you love. CHERUBS is working hard to raise Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness!

The cause of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia is not yet known.

50% of babies born with CDH do not survive and sometimes the remaining 50% have to overcome very difficult medical complications. Many CDH babies have minor lasting health problems such as feeding aversions, asthma, scoliosis, or short-term oxygen dependency. A small number have major lasting health problems such as ventilator dependency, brain damage, or hearing problems. Many patients have no long-lasting medical problems at all other than a scar from the CDH repair. CDH can occur alone or with other birth defects, and rarely, it occurs as part of a syndrome.

CDH Awareness Fund – this fund will help raise awareness of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia through balloon releases, giving away free CDH ribbon buttons and brochures and other items. It will also cover advertising costs, billboards, video production and much more.